Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

‘Preparing For The Apocalypse’: Californians Hoard Medication Over Insurance Uncertainty

Patients with chronic diseases are worried about losing coverage under the new Republican health care plan.

KPCC:
Worried About Losing Insurance, People Stockpile Medications
With President Trump and the Republican-led Congress working to repeal the Affordable Care Act, some Californians with chronic diseases say they're stockpiling medications and supplies in case they lose their health insurance or access to critical treatments. It's difficult to determine how common this phenomenon is, since no agency tracks it. But advocates from two other chronic disease communities also say that the political fight over health care in Washington has convinced a lot of people to take matters into their own hands. (Plevin, 3/20)

And in other news —

San Diego Union-Tribune:
Why Our Health Care Costs So Much — And Why Fixes Aren't Likely
Need a knee replacement? That will cost you a different price depending on where you go in the United States. A California website shows that hospitals in San Diego County charged anywhere from $52,010 to $98,327 for the procedure in 2014, but that’s just the list price. Each hospital brokers its own deal with each insurance company. The public never really gets a full picture of what insurance companies pay behind the scenes, though the amount of information available is gradually increasing. (Sisson, 3/18)